The Creative Bodega | Content Marketing and Instagram Growth for Solopreneurs

66: The Single Static Post That Outperformed Everything I Made This Month

• Emily Connors • Episode 66

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0:00 | 21:04

If you've been grinding through carousel after carousel, reel after reel, wondering why your results still feel flat, you're about to get a reality check that's also a relief. In this episode of *The Creative Bodega*, I'm sharing the accidental experiment that brought me back to the simplest format on Instagram: a single static quote graphic, made in under two minutes in Canva. No trending audio. No B-roll. No face-to-camera. And it outperformed almost every other post I've put out in two weeks, with the numbers to prove it.

Check out the full show notes for this episode HERE.

Things I cover inside this episode:

  • Why simple, bold quote graphics are outperforming heavily produced content right now—and the psychology behind the pattern interrupt
  • The difference between generic quotes that flop and thought leadership statements that make people stop scrolling and engage
  • How to pull punchy, relatable quotes directly from your podcast transcripts, client calls, or high-performing captions using AI
  • My exact design rules for quote graphics that work: bold fonts, short sentences, on-brand colors, and instant comprehension
  • Real metrics from two quote posts (43,161 views & 9,369 views) and what made the first one absolutely blow up

Resources & Links mentioned in the episode:

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Speaker

Feeds are exhausting right now. We have trained ourselves and our audiences to expect a lot 10 side carousels, reels with hooks and B roll and text overlays and trending audio in the background. And there's like so much effort going into content, which is not a bad thing, but it's also a lot of noise. And when someone is scrolling and they hit something that is just clean, bold, immediately readable. That's a pattern interrupt for a lot of what's happening on the feed right now. Their brain slows down because it's not being asked to do very much. It can just receive the message. Welcome back to the Creative Bodega Podcast. Today I'm sharing something that legit surprised me, and I think it's gonna surprise you two because it goes against basically everything we've been told about what performs well on Instagram lately. A post that I'm talking about today is not a reel. it is not a carousel. It does not have any trending audio in it, and it's not me face to camera talking. It's a single image with bold text that took me, oh, I don't know, one minute to create in Canva, and it is outperforming almost everything else. On my feed right now that I have put out in the last two weeks, and I have the numbers to prove it. I'm gonna walk you through all of them today. But first, a little context because there's like a full circle moment happening here, and it makes this whole thing a lot more interesting to me. so when my husband, Rob and I, owned our CrossFit gym back in 2017, when we started it, I was the one running our social media, right? And that's how I got started in this entire world. And one of the things that I posted really consistently, I think it was on Thursdays, was a quote, a quote graphic. So just simple text, simple background. Quote, right, about health or fitness or confidence or whatever. And at the time they were like everywhere on Instagram and some of'em really worked well for us, but somewhere around, I'd say, I don't know, 20 20, 20 21. Like I. The quote, graphic just fell off, right? Everything shifted to reels. It's like reels or die, right? Video, video showing your face being on camera. and quote, graphics started to feel like a little dated or pointless, and they started to like really not perform well for us. And so I dropped them from my content rotation entirely, and I really didn't think much about it. I, I don't remember what I switched to, but fast forward to a few weeks ago. I posted a full carousel on a Monday about my podcast, so that's always how I promote my podcast for the week is in a storytelling kind of carousel on Mondays, And it's my main content for the week. And it takes, honestly, a really, a pretty good amount of time to put it together. And I, I'm usually working from my transcript from the podcast but I wanted something on Wednesday, a couple Wednesdays to go, and I was like, I'm really not giving my podcast like a fighting chance by just posting one post about it. On a Monday, a carousel, you know, like there's gotta be something else I can do that's a lower lift, like a supplemental type post to get more eyes and more ears on my podcast episode. So. Something that would point people to the pod without me having to film anything or like spend an hour in Canva, right? Because I make the carousel from Monday promoting the podcast. Tuesdays are always a real or a carousel about Canva. So those are two pretty high maintenance posts in the beginning of the week. And I definitely hit it hard earlier on in the week with just more rich, more substantial posts, I'm gonna say.'cause I find that people are very eager to learn and. Zoom earlier in the week, and then people's attention span goes down and they wanna be more entertained towards the end of the week. So I was like, what can I do to promote this podcast without having to, you know, film the reel and edit the reel or make an entire new carousel? so I of course went into Claude. I've recently switched over to Claude and I put the transcript in and I said. Can you help me just pull out like some bold, punchy statements? Right. And she did, and we kind of went back and forth. I think she gave me five. I said, these are the two that are really standing out. And we ended up like zeroing in on one quote, right? I went into Canva and I searched, quote, graphic and I found something that was close, but I ended up editing it quite a bit'cause I really wanted to be simple and I used big bold font, my brand colors. and I, you know, quickly wrote a caption and the call to action was to comment. The pod 63, I think was that week's episode. And I really didn't expect much. I, I seriously was like, ah, we'll see how this goes. Right. And if you know me, I post and then I kind of like get off Instagram altogether for a couple hours. I just, whatever. I don't even care. You guys, even if it goes against everything the gurus say, like sit there and engage for the first 20 minutes and like make sure responding and whatever. Like I need to just like emotionally detach myself from the post. I need to just get out and start working on something else and then I'll go back. so. Let's see that first quote post, it said, let's normalize not posting, just to prove we're consistent. So that's what it said, and we're gonna talk more about like why I think that landed so well. But it got 43,161 views. And this was posted two weeks ago. Okay. And I just looked at the metrics. It reached 26,226 accounts. It got 954 likes, which for me these days is a lot. 99 saves 80 comments, 32 shares. And here's the part that really got my attention. 74.5% of those views came from non followers. Now, if you're listening to this and you're like, where, how do you know these numbers? Well, I have a business account on Instagram and I check my metrics, once a month on my Instagram analytic tracker. I'll put a link in the show notes. If you don't have that, if you. Don't have it near in the covenant, it's in there, so don't go buy it. But people, who, who have never seen my content before, 74.5% of them were finding this post and engaging with it and visiting my profile. Uh, 29 of them followed me, which is a good number from a single post. And this is all, again, from a single static graphic that took me. Two minutes if that to make in Canva. So I was baffled. I was actually like, damn, that's actually kind of crazy. So, two weeks later I tried it again. the second one was after going back and forth with Claude, after putting my transcript in, I decided to stick with Let's Normalize. I was kind of like, at first I asked Claude, like, what is a phrase that's like that? Right? Like, like. Let's normalize and, and she gave me some options, but I didn't love them. So I was like, what if that was kind of my series? Like that was sort of like how I always start this quote and Claude said she loved it and I was like, I kind of love it too. So the second one was, let's normalize making great posts and still not getting results. So this one did not do as well. That first quote blew it out of the water, but this still did. Pretty damn good for my account. It got 9,369 views. It reached 5,744 accounts. Got 305 likes, 59 comments, 18 shares, 17 saves. So these are two posts, both single image, meaning it's not a carousel, it's just one image. It is not photo-based. It is not scrapbook looking. You know, it, it's not what is trending right now. According to all the Instagram experts, both were pulled directly from my podcast transcripts, both made in under two minutes, both outperforming all the rest of the content that I've made in the last two weeks. I will link both of these posts in the show notes so you can actually see what they look like, the design, the format, all of it. Um. So why do I think this is working? I clearly don't have a definitive, scientific answer here, but I have some pretty strong opinions and I think it comes down to a few things. Feeds are exhausting right now. We have trained ourselves and our audiences to expect a lot 10 side carousels, reels with hooks and B roll and text overlays and trending audio in the background. And there's like so much effort going into content, which is not a bad thing, but it's also a lot of noise. And when someone is scrolling and they hit something that is just clean, bold, immediately readable. That's a pattern interrupt for a lot of what's happening on the feed right now. Their brain slows down because it's not being asked to do very much. It can just receive the message. Right. And I think people are also craving something to react to. So this would fall into like that thought leadership category. For me, a simple, bold statement that gives you something to feel. Either you agree or you don't. It can possibly be polarizing, But it doesn't have to. And you nod your head. Right? And you're like, yeah, like yeah, uh uh. I totally agree. I feel this to my core, you know? And that's what a lot of the comments were like, thank you for saying this. You know what I mean? And when you really agree in that way where it feels like someone just said the thing you've been thinking, you engage, you like it, you save it, you send it to a friend, you share it to your stories. And the third thing. Is, I think we have been so focused on production value that we kind of forgot that the most important thing is actually the idea, and I am guilty of this. I get so wrapped up in the production of the real or the creation of the carousel. I forget to, I honestly forget if the idea is even strong enough, the format doesn't almost, doesn't even matter, you know? So the difference between a quote. And thought leadership. This is the part I really want you to hear because if you go make a quote graphic after listening to this and it doesn't perform, I want you to come back to this section. Okay? Not all quotes are created equal. The version that doesn't. Work Sounds like done is better than perfect or your vibe attracts your tribe. Oh my God, that's so cheesy. I can barely even say it or just show up consistently, right? They're all fine sentiments, but nobody is stopping their scroll for them. We've seen them a thousand times. They don't make us feel anything specific. The quotes that work, they take a stance, right? They say something your ideal client has maybe thought. But never said out loud or a challenge, um, a belief that you've been quietly holding onto. And the reaction you're going for is for people to be like, yes. Um, exactly. Or like, finally someone said it or even a little bit of like, wait, that's true. And I, I didn't even realize it, or I didn't wanna admit it. Okay. Again, my quote was, let's normalize not posting, just to prove we're consistent. It works because everyone I am talking to has felt that pressure, including me. I've posted when I have nothing to say and I've hated every minute of it, and no one has ever given me the permission to like call that out or just say, you know what? Like, don't show up if you don't need to. You know, take a minute to breathe. Find your creativity and find your drive and your excitement for the post. and then like let's normalize, making great posts and still not getting results. This works'cause it removes shame from a extremely common experience for my ideal client and myself, it validates something people feel embarrassed about. I know I do. I'm like, oh my God. Like that. I've got 124,000 followers and that got like. 15 likes. You know, that's probably thirties, like the lowest you'll see. But like still, I'm like, Jesus, that is not good. Right. and when content makes someone feel less alone, they're gonna engage with it and they share it because they want someone else to feel that relief too. So when you're thinking about your own version, what does your ideal client believe that no one is saying out loud. What are they quietly frustrated about? What permission do they need? What truth have they been dancing around? And how plainly can you state it like you would be talking to your friend? No insider language. Nothing more polished. Like, honestly, as laid back as you can be, and I would start there. The good news is the content is probably already somewhere in your business. I, I am not even kidding. If you have a podcast, go back through recent episodes, put the transcript into Claude, ask it to find the most equitable moments. Right, and then go back and forth with her and working on making it, have someone feel something. I actually prompted it and I said, I want my female based solopreneurs to listen to this or read it, not listen, read it and nod their heads and say, yep. You know what I mean? Like she nailed it. If you don't have a podcast, that's okay. Think about one of the last captions you wrote that got really good traction, or something you said in a client call that made them go quiet for a second or something that you said in your stories that made a lot of people respond to you. Those moments are gold. And once you have your line, these are gonna be the design rules. They're really simply, but I do want you to take them seriously'cause they do matter. Bold font. I used a bold, clear sans serif, meaning no little slurs on the ends. A sand serif bold font, not decorative, not delicate, bold, and readable. At a glance. If someone is scrolling fast, they need to absorb it immediately. Next. This is a short quote. It is one single sentence. I'll let you have two, but they gotta be real punchy. If your quote needs more than about 10 words to land, it's not the right quote. Cut it down. Get down, do less name the movie. The constraint is part of what makes it really, really work. next, nothing that requires thinking. So the point is instant comprehension. If someone has to read it twice to get it, you've. Already lost them. And I read this thing out loud a couple times to make sure I got there and ended up removing a couple words to make it even punchier. and lastly, on brand, I use two really fun colors that work well together. A dark Reddish orange background and like a really light lilac purple fuchsia color. Your colors, your font, your handle. This should look unmistakably you. and then you're gonna write a caption that adds context. This is where you say like, oof, I don't know about you guys, but I've been feeling this to my core. The graphic is gonna stop the scroll and the caption is going to earn the engagement and the follow. Um, tell the story behind the quote, give it a little more context, and that's where the connection's really gonna happen. So, something else I wanna say, I want, I just want you to pay attention to what stops your scroll, right? I've said this a million times. I want to leave you with a thing that actually kicked all of this off because I think it's really worth naming. I started noticing quote posts from other creators that I follow and respect. You know, I don't follow a lot of Instagram experts or content experts. I do that on purpose, but a couple that I follow, they were doing this, one in particular. And I actually felt something when I read them and I also paused and that like mental, yes, yes, yes, I agree. Went off in my head and I stopped scrolling and I got curious about why this was working for me. What made me stop? What did they say that hit? I always tell you to pay attention to what stops your scroll, and I really, really, really, really mean it. Not just to steal formats, but to understand what's actually connecting with people right now, including yourself. Your own reaction is fantastic consumer data, okay? Use it. And that's what led me back to the quote graphics after a solid four to five year hiatus. A post made me feel something and it felt really simple and easy to consume and not overproduced. And I got curious and then I thought, why am I not trying this? And so I did. And whatever, 900 some likes later. I'm here for it, but not just likes, follows, saves, shares, all that Instagram algorithm juice, right? So I actually shared my exact quote, graphic template. That I used inside the Content Cove. This is my membership for female service-based solopreneurs. So if you're already a member, please go grab it. it's under M's. Gems, the Thread, M's. Gems, it's built out in Canva, of course, with the right size font, spacing, layout, all that. Just swap your quote, swap your brand colors, and you're done in minutes. if you're not in the coven, the doors are always open and that is strategic. I don't like an open close. Open close. If you need help, I wanna help you now, and I'm always ready to help people. Um, so it is, it is open all the time. It's$97 a month, or if you commit to a year, you get two months for free. So I share templates, strategies behind the scenes stuff. we've got calls every week. We've got monthly challenges. I share what I'm testing my own business, what's working, what's flopped. So come and hang out with us and don't forget both quote posts that have already been published on Instagram, our Linked in the show notes. You can see exactly. What I made and what I'm talking about. So go take a look, get inspired, and then make your own. Take a line from something you've already created. Make it really bold and post it this week. And then come and tell me how it went or you know, share it to your stories and tag me'cause I legit wanna come and cheer you on and check it out. Alright, that's what I've got for this episode. I will see you on the next one.